Tag Archive | God

I Love You, Lord

Sep2

I love the Lord, because He hears My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.
Psalms 116:1‭-‬2 NASB

My God:

“I love You, O Lord, my strength.”
I have called upon You, for You will answer me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech. Wondrously show Your lovingkindness, O Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand From those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings.
Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly; Be to me a rock of strength, A stronghold to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.
Psalms 18:1 NASB, Psalms 17:6‭-‬8 NASB, Psalms 31:2‭-‬3‭, ‬5 NASB

🌹I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. Since I am afflicted and needy, Let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.
Psalms 40:1‭, 2 NASB

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Influenced

Sep1

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12 NASB

God’s creation, people, are created in the image of a perfect God. But the rulers, the power of darkness that influences the wickedness of this fallen world rule without God’s influence.

When you look at people, do you see God’s creation and desire that they experience the Almighty God and His salvation? Or do you look and see only the wickedness and influence of a fallen world? People need Jesus.

I was speaking to a Christian sister yesterday about this verse. I was explaining that I had never looked at it from the perspective of people being God’s creation and the war is not with God’s creation but with the forces of darkness working in the sinful person, still a creation of His. She then shared this with me. . .

When Jesus washed the feet of His disciples,  He washed the feet of ALL 12 of them. This included Judas, the one who betrayed Jesus. The one Jesus knew would betray Him.

Wow! Can we look at mankind and separate the creation from the forces of evil working in that person?
Do we love God’s creation enough to share the gospel that they may be made new and whole under the influence of a Holy God? Or do we look at the evil and shy away from speaking truth that can change the life of a God created being?

🌹Are we willing to share the gospel of Jesus Christ for the benefit of those walking in darkness?

Thank you Rhonda W. for your insights and influence.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Return Faithless Ones

Aug31

A voice is heard on the bare heights, The weeping and the supplications of the sons of Israel; Because they have perverted their way, They have forgotten the Lord their God.

“Return, O faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to You; For You are the Lord our God.

Let us lie down in our shame, and let our humiliation cover us; for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day. And we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.”
Jeremiah 3:21‭-‬22‭, ‬25

They have lied about the Lord And said, “Not He; Misfortune will not come on us, And we will not see sword or famine. The prophets are as wind, And the word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them!” Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, “Because you have spoken this word, Behold, I am making My words in your mouth fire And this people wood, and it will consume them.
Jeremiah 5:12‭-‬14 NASB

Take the word of God to heart. As is the Old Testament so is today. We are to learn from history. God is righteous, holy, perfect and without Him we are nothing.

Have you forgotten the Lord your God? God is waiting to heal your faithlessness. Lie down in shame, let humiliation cover you; for the sin you have sinned against the Lord your God.

🌹 God, I humbly bow before You in shame for my disregard of Your way, neglecting Your Word, Your presence in my life, and being disobedient. Forgive my disobedience to Your voice, the voice of the Lord my God. Heal my faithlessness. Amen

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Do You Know?

Aug30

Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord. “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised—
Jeremiah 9:23‭-‬25 NASB

Circumcised in the flesh yet uncircumcised in the heart, in the spirit. Outwardly professing Christianity but inwardly living like the world.
Do you know that you know that you know?

🌹”but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth;”

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Covenant to Walk

Aug27

Then the king (Josiah) stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant written in this book.
2 Chronicles 34:31 NASB

First commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.” Keeping that one commandment alone will fulfill the covenant. Loving God with your whole being brings your will in alignment with His and you desire to be obedient to His testimonies, His statutes. Following in obedience you “do” — perform the words of the covenant with reverence and submission. We could start with loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.

🌹 Walk after the Lord. Be like Jesus.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Bible Application

Aug26

thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the curses written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah.
Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place and it shall not be quenched.” ’
But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus you will say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel regarding the words which you have heard,
“Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares the Lord.
2 Chronicles 34:24‭-‬27‭NASB

What do you do with the word of God that you read? Do you contemplate its meaning? Do you meditate on it, mull it over in your mind? Do you take it to heart and apply it to your life? Does it convict you and draw you to repentance? Or. . .   Do you ignore it?

🌹King Josiah heard the word of God and responded humbly with a tender heart and God heard him.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Words of The Book

Aug25

“Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord which is poured out on us because our fathers have not observed the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book.”
2 Chronicles 34:21‭NASB

Regarding this “book which has been found”; I wonder where it had been and for how long. I wonder how many Bibles are sitting on shelves or packed in boxes that are unread. And now we stand in wonder at the wrath of God being poured out in the world today. Could it be because we “have not observed the word of the Lord, to do all that is written in this book”?

🌹Lord God, as I open Your Holy word this morning, open my heart and soul to understanding so that I may honor You in my life by living according to all that is written in Your word.  Amen.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

The Humble Are Heard

Aug24

When he was in distress, he entreated (asked earnestly) the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.
2 Chronicles 33:12‭-‬13 NASB

Who do you seek out when you are in distress? Does God come to mind instantly or is He an afterthought? A last resort?
Is God moved by your prayers?
When praying we must humble ourselves before the Almighty, Holy, Sovereign God. He will hear. He will answer.

🌹O Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear
Psalms 10:17 NASB

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Judges

Aug23

He said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord who is with you when you render judgment. Now then let the fear of the Lord be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the Lord our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.” Whenever any dispute comes to you from your brethren who live in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you shall warn them so that they may not be guilty before the Lord, and wrath may not come on you and your brethren. Thus you shall do and you will not be guilty.
2 Chronicles 19:6‭-‬7‭, ‬10 NASB

Pray for our judges.

🌹Arise, O God, judge the earth! For it is You who possesses all the nations.
Psalms 82:8 NASB

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Seek And Find

Aug20

Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. For many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. But in their distress they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him.
2 Chronicles 15:1‭-‬4 NASB

“For many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law.“

🌹I can’t imagine being without the Lord for many days much less His word or someone to speak the truth to and with me. I don’t know about you but I need the Lord every minute. His word is my daily nutrition for my mind, heart, and soul. God’s church is my family to learn from and with. God’s plan is perfect when we walk according to His will. Are you seeking? If so God will be found!

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon